If you plan to connect cables to equipment in an environment prone to explosions, you’ll need the right cable glands to protect those connections. But when you look at a datasheet for an explosion-proof cable gland, you’ll find logos indicating compliance to various directives and regulations. It can be hard to decipher which approvals are essential for your application. This blog post offers an overview of the various approvals for explosion-proof cable glands and how to tell the differences among them. Use this summary as a starting point to select explosion-proof cable glands.

Internationally Recognized Standards Based on IEC 60079

The European Union’s ATEX directives and the International Electrotechnical Commission’s IECEx System cover equipment used in explosive environments. They are based on the International Electrotechnical Commission’s 60079 series of standards that classify hazardous locations and the testing devices for equipment intended for use in hazardous locations, so they have many similarities. Here’s a brief summary:

ATEX. The ATEX Equipment Directive (also known as 2014/34 or ATEX 114) covers equipment and protective systems used in potentially explosive atmospheres. Manufacturers of electrical and non-electrical equipment must ensure their products comply with health and safety requirements, and they must pass a certification assessment conducted by a “Notified Body.” In addition, employers must satisfy the ATEX Workplace Directive 1999/92/EC (also known as ATEX 137), designed to protect the health and safety of workers in potentially explosive atmospheres.

IECEx. The International Electrotechnical Commission for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres is “a means for manufacturers, regulators and users of equipment used in hazardous areas to address the risk of fires or explosions from flammable gasses or dusts.” Whereas ATEX is an E.U. directive, IECEx is a global certification that allows products and equipment to be traded globally without retesting or recertification.

Other important certifications include:

• UL 2225 — a North American standard which establishes requirements for cable glands for use in hazardous locations.
• TR RU — the Eurasian Conformity Mark indicating compliance to all technical standards established by the Eurasian Customs Union.
• INMETRO — Brazilian standards which cover a wide range of products and components including electrical and electronic products.

SAB Explosion-proof Cable Glands

SAB has recently introduced a new line of explosion-proof cable glands that meets all of these approvals. These dome cap glands are available for both shielded and non-armored cables and offer a choice of nickel-plated brass or Polyamide 6 construction as well as single, double or triple Chloroprene seals, and metric or NPT threads. Because these explosion-proof cable glands carry multiple international certifications, customers can select one of the following cable glands to satisfy their needs across various markets:

• EX 100. Polyamide EX e dome cap cable glands with metric or NPT threads
• EX 150. High Impact Polyamide EX e dome cap cable glands with Metric threads
• EX 300. Nickel Plated Brass EX d & EX e dome cap glands for non-armored cables with Metric or NPT threads
• EX EMC-2. Nickel Plated Brass EX e & EX d dome cap gland for shielded cables with metric or NPT threads

Be sure to talk to a SAB sales engineer to determine which explosion-proof cable gland is best suited for your application.

For more information about SAB explosion-proof cable glands, visit www.sabcable.com.